Journey of the Warrior
by Avatarone3
Summary: Set after The Boiling Rock, Sokka falls dangerously ill and, WITHOUT the help of the gaang, he must face journeys of the body, soul, and mind, or die, leaving the gaang to their own fate. Rated T for violence and gore.
1. Chapter 1: Sudden Death

Journey of the Warrior

This takes place after the Boiling Rock parts one and two

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New story! hope you guys like! and it's a little gory and sad, so warning you now...

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Sokka shivered and wrapped the small blanket tighter around his strong frame as he looked out to the view ahead of him at the western air temple. They had just gotten back from the Boiling Rock, and now, as everything calmed down, he took the time to enjoy the scenery. The sun had just dipped below the horizon an hour ago, the stars were too numerous to count, and the air was fresh and clean. His family and his friends were all relaxed and looked like they were actually enjoying themselves for once. He smiled, trying to block the unknown pain that had become steadily worse, deep in the pit of his stomach, received to him when Azula had tried to hit Zuko with her hand on the gondola at The Boiling Rock. She managed to hit the Water Tribe Warrior instead, right in his middle. Sokka had cried out in surprise, not pain, dismissed it, and kept fighting, but now he wished that he had noticed it sooner, as there was definitely something wrong, up to this point. Still, he had tried to enjoy the night, as his father was back and it felt like family again.

Well, almost whole family, he thought, staring at the necklace around his baby sister's neck. He sighed and winced as another soft yet firm wave of pain came over him. He stretched and wrapped the blanket even tighter. He had done nothing but shiver since he came home.

Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him, and turned his head. The young man put a hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"Hey Sokka, dinner's almost ready. I'm starting to worry about you tonight, usually since you're bouncing with joy like a cow-pig near your sister about now," Zuko laughed jokingly, coming to stand next to him.

Sokka smiled tiredly. "Well, I just thought I'd enjoy the view," he said quietly, a little too quietly enough for the prince to look at him questioningly. Sokka cocked his head to Zuko and smiled. "That," he nodded with his head to everyone around the campsite. "We're all happy and content for right now. No war, no suffering, just love and peace. It's amazing."

He turned to look and Zuko did as well. Indeed, the whole group was content. Aang was relaxing on Appa's head, resting, Toph was sitting and bending small rocks out of the earth, and Momo was trying to catch each one as it came, Suki was brushing her hair, humming, Teo, Haru, and the Duke were trying to make a map of the secret rooms they found, and Chit Sang was snoring away. Then the boys' attention turned to Hakoda and Katara making dinner, where suddenly Hakoda grabbed his daughter in a tight, loving hug, and she returned it, smiling so wide that she couldn't smile any wider. Her face was turned towards the two as her head rested against her father's chest, and as she opened her eyes and focused on the two young men who risked their lives trying to bring Hakoda back, she smiled towards them, a smile filled with happiness and love, and forgiveness towards Zuko, for the moment. There were tears in her eyes as she smiled. They both smiled back at her.

"Sokka, I've never seen your sister so happy. I'm actually proud of what I did, helping you. And it makes me feel indescribable inside when she smiles at me. She's happy again."

"That's nothing. You should've seen her when mom--"

Zuko looked at Sokka sadly. He knew why the boy had broken off. "I'm sorry, Sokka. I can tell Katara's close to her mother, but I didn't know you were as well."

"It's okay," the young man replied, staring towards the prince. "She's a memory. I miss her, but I try not to think about it too much. But if Katara's happy, then I am."

They both stared back out towards the group.

But their concentration wasn't to last. Sokka then shifted uneasily, rubbing his abdomen underneath the blanket, trying to take away the pain that steadily got worse. Suddenly he hit a sensitive spot, and he barely managed to catch a groan that escaped from his lips.

Zuko looked at him questioningly, showing an obvious worry etched across his face. "You alright?" he asked, looking intently at the young man.

Sokka immediately stood up straight. "What? Yeah! I'm fine! W--why would you think I'm not alright? I'm fine! Yep! No big deal! Heh, heh, heh…"

Zuko raised an eyebrow towards him, but Sokka put his hand on his new friend's shoulder. "Relax. I'm just a little run down from today."

"But you don't look too good either," Zuko added, studying the worn out look in his face. "You're pale, your eyes are red, you're sweating, and you look exhausted. Why don't you go lay down? I'll bring you some food later."

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry."

"Wow. Sokka, the meat guy I've heard about so much? Sokka, who makes the group run out of food every day? Sokka, who takes 4 helpings--"

"Enough," the Water Tribe Warrior said, smiling. "I get it. But where did you hear so much?"

"Toph," Zuko said proudly.

"Of course," he answered, rolling his eyes. They both laughed, until the pain made him stop. "you're right," Sokka said, grimacing. "I think I'm gonna go to bed early. Tell everyone I said goodnight," he said as he turned away from the prince.

"Hey Sokka."

He turned around to stare at Zuko. "Hmm?"

The prince held out his arm toward the young man. "We had a pretty nice adventure, didn't we?"

Sokka looked at the outstretched hand of the man who, a few days ago, had been his enemy. Now, he was his friend. He immediately understood the Water Tribe gesture Zuko was trying to make, and taking his hand from its place on his abdomen, instinctively grabbed wrists with him, which symbolized welcome and acceptance. They both smiled at each other, and Sokka was the first to let go. "Yeah, we did."

He turned from Zuko and began to walk slowly away, putting the hand that he shook Zuko's with back under the blanket, the pain now welling up inside him more than ever.

* * *

Toph was playing with Momo when she immediately felt one of the group members' heart rates speed up increasingly fast. She stopped the game, realizing it wasn't natural, and she knew from his original position, that it was Sokka, and that something was seriously wrong.

She focused her energy, trying to figure out why. "Sokka," she whispered.

* * *

Zuko stared after the warrior, who walked slowly away, but suddenly felt something warm on the hand that he shook with his friend. He immediately brought up his hand, and his heart nearly stopped at what he saw, much less whisper under his breath.

"Blood…"

He suddenly looked up towards his friend.

"Sokka?"

* * *

Toph suddenly felt Sokka's heart rate drop instantly for a second, as though he had been punched in the gut. She flew to her feet.

* * *

The pain hit Sokka suddenly, like a punch, and he couldn't take it. He cried out and doubled over, groaning and clutching his stomach.

* * *

Zuko saw him fall forward to his knees, and immediately his mouth dropped as he rushed forward.

"Sokka!!!"

* * *

Toph felt him fall painfully hard to his knees with a thud, and her heart stopped. She started to run.

"Sokka!!!" she screamed.

* * *

All the others turned at their cries, and their eyes widened in shock.

* * *

The pain rushed over Sokka like a sheet, over and over in waves. His face turned inward in agony, sweat covering him. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, every inch of him on fire, the pain in his stomach like someone had stabbed him with a white-hot dagger. He coughed and curled inward, as if that would stop the pain, pain that he had never felt like this. He shook uncontrollably as he cried out again, this time falling to his side on the ground.

Zuko slid to his side, his mind numb. What had happened to his best friend? He turned him over, pulling him up onto his lap as he tried to figure out what to do. The expression on the young man's face made Zuko want to die. His eyes were tightly closed and his teeth were clenched, and he cried out in pain, groaning and writhing, and shaking. Zuko had never known that people could shake that much.

He was helpless. And all he could do was whisper.

"Stay with me, buddy. It'll be alright."

Then those blue eyes slightly opened, staring into the prince's, begging for help. Zuko had never seen that much pain mirrored in a person's eyes before. He cringed, but Sokka shut his eyes tightly again once more.

He looked up as Toph slid to her knees as well. Her eyes were full of tears. She felt his chest with a shaky hand. "His--heartbeat…" she panted, looking into space, though Zuko knew she knew the situation. He looked up, crying for the one person who Sokka needed the most.

"Katara!" he cried out, looking towards the running waterbender screaming her brother's name, as well as her father, running to help his son.

Katara immediately shoved Zuko out of the way, her tears falling as she held her brother in her arms. She was breathing quickly, but it was nothing compared his breathing, which sounded like he had just sprinted a long distance. He began to shake in his breathing as well, as he cried out and squeezed his eyes shut, groaning to the point of screaming.

"Sokka," she whispered in short breaths. "Sokka, Sokka, please. Look at me."

Hakoda made it to his son's side. "Sokka…" he whispered, taking his cold shaking hand in his own, trying to warm it. He squeezed it. "Stay with us, son. Please," he begged, his crystal blue eyes now wracked with tears. He looked up. "What's wrong with him? What happened?"

But no one from the whole group now gathered around him knew. Nor did they have time, as Sokka lifted his head and cried out, then his head fell back, his face still contorted in pain, his groans increasing.

"Katara, you need to heal him," Zuko said, kneeling next to Katara, both of them breathing quickly, while Sokka cried out again. They locked gazes, but at the warrior's scream, they both looked down to him.

"Dad," she whispered looking up. "We need to get him near the fire. Hurry!"

Hakoda nodded with tears in his eyes as he gently picked up his son, but every move to Sokka's body made him give out blood curdling groans. He cried out as Hakoda rushed over to the fire and placed him on the pile of blankets and sleeping bags next to it. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out, as he shook harder. His teeth now chattered, but as Katara kneeled next to her brother's side, she felt his head, and he was unbelievably hot. She touched his cheek, but he cried out, and now opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came except his ragged breaths. His lips shook as he opened his mouth and clenched his teeth, and now his own tears came, the pain from within him now unbearable. It still came in waves, as the group could now see, with every breath that stopped short from his lips and every time he pressed himself deeper into the makeshift bed.

"It's poison. It's gotta be," Aang whispered helplessly as his best friend thrashed.

Katara immediately took the knife from her pouch and holding it in her teeth, removed the blanket from around him, that he had kept locked to his side the minute they got back. Underneath was the warrior's regular shirt that he wore, but there was a small slit in the middle, and his blood, fresh and dried, was soaked into the fabric.

Aang and Suki gasped, as well as the others. But Katara was silent as she took the knife in her hand and cut Sokka's shirt right down the middle. And when she opened it up to expose his chest, her hand flew to her mouth in shock. Everyone else gasped. Hakoda closed his eyes and bowed his head, not wanting to see the sight in front of him. Even the strong young prince had to look away.

Right above Sokka's navel was a deep slit into his front, about 6 inches long and a ½ inch wide. At least a few inches around the whole wound, his skin was a blue-green black, from bruising. The wound itself was swollen and red, and it blistered and gaped open. Blood pulsed out like his ragged breaths, and blue veins showed up clearly around it. A yellow-green substance surrounded the wound, and a metal shard protruded from it.

Katara placed a cool hand on her brother's burning skin, on his stomach next to the cut, and he screamed in pain. She immediately took her hand off, but bent water onto it and breathed in, placing her hand back on him, but this time on the wound. Everyone gasped suddenly as Sokka stopped his groaning and writhing and suddenly relaxed, all except for his face and his breathing.

Everyone was still and quiet as Katara and Hakoda stared into Sokka's face, caressing his forehead, whispering to him.

Katara finally stopped, bowed her head, closed her eyes, and then reopened them as she looked back up at her brother.

"Sokka, please," she whispered. His breathing was labored, but his eyelids twitched.

"Sokka, son," Hakoda breathed, his heart racing for his son's life.

But their tears came once more as Sokka was hit with another wave of the agonizing pain, which made him wheeze and groan and cry out once more. His face shook but he managed to swallow once, and he painfully opened his eyes halfway. He looked for his sister's face.

He shook uncontrollably, but Katara saw it. The blue of his eyes. "Sokka, can you hear me?" she pleaded, stroking his cheek as she kept the healing glove on his wound with the other hand. "Please Sokka, wake up," she cried out, staring at him.

His eyes opened a little more, and he searched for her. Only her. Just to see her face would give him peace.

At last, his eyes found hers. He closed them abruptly again as a wave washed over him, and the sweat dripped down his face, and he moaned slightly. But he opened his eyes, and Katara saw only pain, and fear. She became scared, for she had never known her brother to have either of those things.

He opened his mouth, his breathing still raspy, his lips shaking, and he tried to say her name.

"Ka--ka--k--k--Katar--a," he finally managed to whisper in a barely acknowledgeable voice.

He began to breathe heavily again and moaned as Katara's healing glove made no difference. She looked down and concentrated on her hand. "He's fading," she whispered, "It's like he's filled with knots. I've never felt anything like this. Everything's at war inside him. I don't think I can help him…" she trailed off. She took the water glove and bent it back into her pouch.

Sokka groaned again, and it managed to mix into a scream of agony and pain, and his face became contorted once more, his teeth clenched, every muscle in him tense and twitching. And suddenly, as if it couldn't get any worse, the pain did. Sokka groaned and writhed and moaned and screamed, his entire body filling with fire. His mind went dark, but he then saw a light in his line of vision.

Looking down on him, the group, especially Katara and Hakoda, watched as the young man thrashed and screamed, but then he lay still even though he still shook.

His eyes began to glaze over, and he became more still with each passing second. Toph felt his heartbeat. "No!" she cried, suddenly scaring the group. "He's leaving us!"

Katara grabbed her brother's face with both hands. "Sokka, don't do this to us!!!! Please! Don't leave us! We need you!" she shook him, but it did no good. He kept shaking, but the next word that came out of his mouth scared those who knew.

"Mom," he whispered through shaking lips. Katara's heart stopped as she looked up to her father, and Hakoda's tears fell. Sokka's face turned then up in pain once more, but he still whispered it. "Mom….mom…"

"He can see her…" Hakoda whispered. "He's crossing over…"

"No no no no no no no!!!! SOKKA!!!" Katara screamed as her brother became limp in her arms, his grip on his father's hand fell, and his breathing shallowed and stopped.

His world became dark, as the last thing he heard were his sister and father crying out his name, and his friends above him crying.

Toph stared into space, her face completely in pain from her broken heart. She fell to her hands as well as her knees. She felt no vibration from his body.

"He's…gone…" she whispered.

And yet, in his darkness, he saw light.

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Tell me what you guys think! do you like it? And I Killed SOKKA???!!! ooh, bad me...

READ AND REVIEW!!!


	2. Chapter 2: Sent Back

Hey, how do you like it? I guess you guys are mad that I killed sokka... oh well, the story's not over...

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The young man opened his eyes. Nothing but black stillness surrounded him. He was lying on the ground, face up, facing nothing but pure darkness, and he groaned as he slowly sat rose to a sitting position. His pain was gone, but so was his family, and at that thought, his heart began to race. "Hello?" he cried out into the black wall. "Katara? Dad? Toph? Aang? Anybody?"

"Sokka…" a gentle voice whispered. He gasped and turned around, looking in all directions.

"Sokka…" the voice whispered again, over and over. He looked around warily, ready on his guard to attack if anything decided to jump out at him. But strangely, the voice sounded somewhat familiar, even though as if from a dream, from his long past.

"Who's there?" he asked nervously. "Show yourself!" he yelled into the darkness.

A small light grew in front of him, and as it brightened, he had to shield his eyes from it. "Who are you?" he cried as it grew and came toward him. "What do you want?"

"Sokka…" the gentle female voice whispered, a voice of pure silk. "You haven't forgotten me, have you?"

The warrior immediately fell to his knees, once more recognizing her voice. His mouth dropped as he struggled to say the one word he could.

"Mom…"

The light faded to reveal a beautiful woman, dressed in flowing blue robes, her hair pulled back into a blue ribbon, and Katara's necklace tied around her throat. Her light cerulean eyes flashed happily towards her son, and she smiled warmly at how much he had grown. Sokka couldn't remember her as that beautiful, but she was. He had forgotten her face for so long. But it didn't matter. She opened her arms wide and ran to him, and he ran to her, falling into her arms. For so long Katara had been the one that openly suffered about the loss of her, but no one had ever really asked Sokka, much less knew what he had gone through himself. He had tried to be so strong, but now he let that go. And so as he hugged his mother and she held him, his tears fell.

"Mom, I missed you so much," he whispered into her clothing, taking in the long-missed smell of his mother. "But this is a dream."

Kya sighed and pulled her son away to look him in the eyes. She sighed. "Oh my boy, I'm afraid not."

Confusion covered his face as he backed away. "Wait, what?"

"You know the truth," she whispered, looking down.

Suddenly the screams of Katara and Hakoda echoed through the blackness. As Sokka strained to hear, he heard his name screamed over and over, with many "no's" and "don't leave us's." His eyes widened. "No…I can't be… but Katara, and dad, and, Aang, and…no! I can't be dead," he stumbled backward. Kya bowed her head and closed her eyes.

"There is a chance for you to return," she said, suddenly looking up at her grown son, who had fallen to his knees in shock. He looked up, hope flashing in his eyes.

"Anything. I'll do anything."

Kya smiled. "I know you will." She walked toward him and offered her hand. He gladly took it as she lifted him up and intertwined his fingers in hers like he did when he was little. He smiled at her. She nodded. "I can send you back, but there is a journey you must take. I must explain it to you thoroughly. Come. We need to talk."

Both mother and son disappeared into the blackness of the Spirit World.

* * *

Toph shook in the corner of the temple, as far away from the group as she could get. She shivered uncontrollably as every scream from Katara still reached her ears as the waterbender cried over her brother's still body, and Aang tried to console her. Suki had taken to holding Hakoda, who now mourned as a little child, crying out over and over for his son. The rest had backed away, knowing that that special group was tied together by one person, and that they needed their time to mourn.

But the blind earthbender let her tears fall silently, as she struggled to keep in her emotions. First it was shock, but now, as her feelings set in, she fell apart. As soon as Sokka's vibrations, heartbeat, and breathing stopped, she ran. She didn't know where, but she ran. All she knew was that she couldn't let the group know how she felt. But she even kept it from herself. She was to the point of exploding.

Then, she looked up. A set of vibrations moved toward her, and she gasped. But she didn't care anymore. She let her face fall into her hands.

"Toph?" Zuko's voice filled the stillness, and yet it had never sounded better to the young girl. She let the silence pass between them. But he broke it.

"You okay?"

She felt him move toward her, and she looked up, trying the hardest she ever could at keeping her tears at bay. She felt the fire bender fall to his knees in front of her, and she felt his stare. But she felt it of compassion.

Zuko kneeled in front of Toph, tears in his eyes just by seeing her. She was a wreck, and he had never seen her like this before, as she was like him in many ways, especially since they both tried to keep their emotions to themselves.

The prince knew that in any other situation, the girl would probably smash him to a pulp if he touched her, but somehow, he had to, for her sake, to rid her of her pain. He gently reached forward and touched her cheek softly, pulling her blank gaze up from her hands to his face. Her unshed tears struggled to stay put, but as he sat next to her and pulled her into a hug, she lost it. Her tears fell like rivers down her face as she cried for her lost friend. Zuko struggled not to cry as the young girl suddenly latched onto his clothing and moaned mournfully into his shirt, letting all her emotion go. He hugged her tightly back, and rubbed her soothingly, for although he still was getting used to the group, he tried to remember what his mother did to comfort him when he cried. He let go of himself and concentrated all his thoughts on Toph, whose tears were somehow never ending.

Eventually she stopped, but she still whispered Sokka's name a few times, and then she relaxed against Zuko, holding onto his clothing in a death grip.

"I'm sorry," she croaked.

"It's okay," he whispered as he held her tighter.

She looked up at him with her blind eyes. "It's just, well, it's…Sokka…" she blurted. "He can't die. He's the one we all looked to. He's the one that kept us going. He's the one that we all imagined would never leave us," her tears started falling again. "but so suddenly, and with…without warning," she sobbed, holding onto his shirt once more, burying her face in his chest. "I…I just can't believe it."

"I know there was no warning, Toph," he whispered as he leaned his chin on her head. "These things happen. But…but I can't believe it either." He stifled a sob.

Toph felt his emotion as well almost to near bursting inside him. She relaxed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his breathing, and she closed her eyes.

They both held each other in their corner of the temple for a few moments of silence except for the water bender's crying, until Toph broke the silence with a yawn. She looked up to him with tired blind eyes.

"Hey, Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

* * *

Sokka and Kya walked to a small clearing in the darkness that opened up to a small waterfall cascading into a clear pool. A few small bamboo shoots grew up from inside and the sides of the pool. The rocks nearby were shaped as seats, and so Kya led her son over to it, sat down, and he followed. Then she looked him in the eyes.

"Sokka," she started. "there is much you need to know. I don't know how or why you died, but you're true time has not come yet, possibly."

Sokka looked at his mother with an upturned eyebrow. "Possibly?"

"My son, whatever killed you will still try to kill you when you return," Kya said quietly. "You and I have seen in your journeys with your sister, and your friends, that all of them have already gone, or soon enough will go, on a journey to see who they truly are, and what they could have been if they had given in to certain things," she said. "Let me try to explain. There are paths in life that people go on, and many of those are ones of both the mortal and the spirit world. Many are overshadowed of things of the past, and many are of what's to come, and all the person has to do is choose the right path." she looked down, but then stared back into her son's eyes. "This sounds easy, but in fact it is the hardest thing each being must face every day. Now the biggest journeys are for all to tread, and it deals with the spirit, but I know, and all the spirits here know, that your time to join us has not yet come. So we can send you back, but how strong you are in body, mind, and soul depends on your will to keep living. Do you understand?"

The young man nodded. "I do."

"You understand the paths you must take, and the strenuous journey that you have to walk. You will still face pain and suffering in the other world, as well as here."

"Yes."

"You will also encounter your past, many of it memories that are not the most pleasant. You will suffer, and you will learn. And you realize that you might not make it back alive, and that you'll rejoin me here, still to complete your journey."

Sokka closed his eyes, gulped, and opened them. He looked up at his mother and nodded.

She smiled. "My strong boy," she whispered as she kissed his forehead. "My strong warrior." He parted from her and stared.

"I really missed you, mom," he whispered.

She pulled him into a loving embrace, which he gladly returned. "I missed you too. As well as your sister and your father. But I'm always with you, Sokka. I always was, and always will be." she let go of him and backed up. "I love you."

Sokka reached for her. "Wait, mom! How do I get back?"

Kya slowly turned into the mist of the waterfall, but still she smiled. "Walk back into the darkness. It will bring you to them."

She disappeared, as did the waterfall, until he was bathed in just the light of the clearing. He looked down at the bamboo stalks. They had grown to three times their size, reaching toward the light, trying to survive amidst the darkness. He knew his fate was to be shown in the same way. Sokka breathed in deeply, stood up, and then retreated back into the darkness.

* * *

Zuko carried the tiny sleeping earthbender back to camp. Even though his heart, mind, and soul begged him to run the opposite way from the ghastly scene and the shrieks of the waterbender, his steps became stronger. He needed to be the strong one now, the almost leader of the group. He needed to help them.

But he decided to wait until the right time came as his eyes adjusted to the campsite in front of him and pulled his thoughts back to the haunting place. He saw Katara still crying over Sokka's body, which hadn't moved since he left, but was now covered up to his face with a sleeping bag. One of his hands stuck out under the blanket, but was lying limply on his chest. Aang was holding Katara as his tears fell, and as he looked up and locked gazes with Zuko, the prince gulped. It had affected the young Avatar as well for him to lose one that he loved. The young airbender's eyes were red and swollen, but he looked back down at his best friend that he tried to console.

Zuko looked over to see that all of the group except Suki and Hakoda had left to another part of the temple, to give them privacy.

Hakoda, for a grown man, had fallen asleep in Suki's lap, the exhaustion from the prison and his loss overcoming him, while Suki just stared into the fire, in shock from what happened.

Zuko gently set Toph down onto a sleeping bag, and the young earthbender whispered Sokka's name once, and then drifted deeper into a fear-wracked sleep as he tucked her in softly and rolled back onto his heels, running his hand through his hair and then putting his face into his hands, from sorrow, fatigue, and shock. And then he looked towards Katara.

The young woman still hadn't stopped her mourning over her loss, and Zuko could only imagine what she was feeling inside. So just as he had done with Toph, he walked over and put a hand on Aang's shoulder. The tired and grief stricken young avatar looked up, tears running down his face, and Zuko motioned for him to go lie down.

Aang shook his head. _I can't_, he mouthed, as he looked back down to his best friend curled in his arms, crying over her brother. Zuko touched the boy's shoulder again, motioning for him to sleep, and, finally giving in, Aang took Zuko's hand, lifted himself up, and slowly walked away to Appa, his head hanging in sorrow and defeat.

Zuko then turned his gaze to Katara, who still cried out over her brother. He gulped and slowly fell to his knees next to her, and he put a hand on her back, rubbing her.

Katara gasped. She didn't recognize the touch, nor the hand that was on her back, and she as she looked up at the young man kneeling next to her, anger flashed in her eyes. His own eyes widened, but went back to normal as her deep blues lost their heated spark and she turned back to the body once more.

"Katara," he breathed softly, rubbing her back in a way he thought would soothe her pain. She shook uncontrollably under his touch, but still he continued. "I don't think he'd want you to mourn." Still she sobbed, and he looked at the closed eyes of his friend, lying motionlessly under the sleeping bag. He reached forward to pull the blanket over the passed warrior's head, but he stopped in midair as if it were wrong. He looked back at the young girl beneath his touch, and somehow it wasn't right to cover the boy's face, just yet.

* * *

Aang struggled to keep his eyes open, but the sorrow that filled him as well as the fatigue overcame his willpower to stay awake. He drifted into a deep sleep.

Suddenly he opened his eyes, which widened at his old friend and mentor standing before him in the darkness.

"Roku," he breathed.

The old Avatar was meditating, his hands folded together, his eyes closed, and his breathing steady. But at Aang whispering his name, his eyes opened. They focused on the young boy, and he smiled warmly.

"Hello, Aang."

Aang frowned. "Roku, I can't worry about avatar matters right now. My best friend is gone, and my mind can't focus on the real world." He fell to his hands and knees in front of the aged Avatar. "Whatever news or lesson you have for me, I'm sorry, but I cannot take it right now. The avatar matters will have to wait." He bowed his head.

"Aang, the news I have to give you is not of avatar matters this time," Roku said, holding up his hand. "but of a young warrior, who is in my world as we speak."

Aang's head shot up, his eyes wide. "Sokka…" he whispered.

"He has a difficult journey ahead of him, but you nor anyone else can help him. This is the test of his heart, mind, soul, and body. But if he fails, he returns to the Spirit world, forever."

"Wait," Aang interrupted, "he'll be sent back to us?"

Roku nodded.

Aang closed his eyes. "Tell me what'll happen."

* * *

Zuko stared at the young airbender asleep on the bison, who had tossed and turned for the last few minutes he had watched him, and his arrows had started to glow. The prince just watched, waiting to see what would happen.

* * *

Sokka walked still further into the darkness, until he hit a hard solid wall with an "oomph!" and backed up. "I guess this is where I came in," he said to himself, rubbing his face, and he sat down cross-legged on the dark floor. He closed his eyes and began to breathe in and out, and suddenly, the pain hit him once more. He knew it was working.

* * *

Aang awoke with a start and gasped. He looked over to Katara and Zuko, and the prince was still comforting her, but his eyes were locked onto Aang's with a confused look. Aang jumped off Appa and began to walk towards the trio on the ground, calling both their names.

Suddenly, out of the corner of Zuko's good eye, he saw the tiniest movement on the sleeping bag. He turned his vision to his friend, who was still gone, but the prince swore he saw something. He began to turn away, until the same movement caught his eye. He stared back at Sokka's motionless hand lying on the sleeping bag, confusion written over his face. He looked up at Aang with the same look, and the boy stopped walking.

Aang stopped when Zuko suddenly looked up to him, confusion in his eyes. He suddenly smiled as he ran to them.

Zuko turned back, and saw it again, as Sokka's finger twitched, but it was movement. He shook Katara.

"Katara," he pleaded. "Katara, look."

Katara looked up as Aang was running towards them, crying out her name. She was just about to answer when she looked down.

Sokka's hand moved in the tiniest way, and she gasped. She stared at his hand.

"Sokka?" she whispered, and as Aang slid to his knees across from them, and Zuko turned his attention to the young man's hand as well, the three became silent.

Suddenly, and without warning, Sokka gasped, breathing in as much air as he could, shocking them all out of their skin. He coughed and groaned, trying to catch the breath that he had lost. With his eyes still shut tight, he moaned loudly in pain, then cried out, the burning fire still rushing through each muscle, every nerve that had suddenly been woken up. He coughed a few times, choking on the fresh air, while he winced greatly at the pain his coughing caused him. He shook still and was deathly pale, and was still in as much pain as he had had before.

"He's alive!" Katara breathed, her tears of sorrow now turned into tears of joy. While she softly touched his forehead, Zuko sat there, dumbfounded, and he slowly arched his head towards Aang, who was surprised as well. The two just stared. Sokka still was in pain, had a high fever, and was still at risk for being lost again, but they were just thankful that he was alive.

Katara held her brother's face in her hands as her forehead touched his, spirits he was burning up, but she put her hand on his chest, where his heart beat weakly, yet now again had a beat all the same. She smiled and looked up to where their father was sleeping against the equally asleep Kyoshi warrior, and she held her brother's hand tightly as she called her father's name.

"Dad! Dad!"

Hakoda instantly woke up to his daughter's voice, with a sleepy look and confused tone.

"What's wrong, Katara?"

"He's alive!!!" she cried out, and at that recognizable tone, the older Water Tribe Warrior jumped to his feet, immediately waking up Suki, and running to his son, slid to his knees. Sokka's breathing raced, and his head moved from side to side, and he cried out, but Hakoda took his son gently in his arms and embraced him.

"My son," he whispered, tears falling once more from his eyes, while Suki just smiled, tears running down her face.

Hakoda gently set the feverish and sick young man down gently once more on the bed, and Katara immediately wrapped him in the sleeping bag. He still groaned and cried out, wincing and his teeth clenched, and still shook and was covered in a cold sweat, but it wasn't as violent as before.

* * *

As Katara, Aang and Hakoda set to work getting him comfortable, Zuko walked over and sat next to Toph, who still slept. Or so he thought.

When he sat next to her and put his hand on her arm, she immediately grabbed it with her other one, nearly shocking him out of his skin.

"Toph! What do you think you're doing! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

But as she grabbed his clothing and pulled him closer, he could see she wasn't intending on fooling around; she was serious. He could tell by the tears once more welling up in her eyes.

"Zuko," she whispered, her voice shaking, "please…, please tell me that what I feel is not a dream."

He smiled. "It's not."

"What?" she asked, a stray tear from her eye falling down her pale cheek.

"He's alive," he breathed, grabbing her in a hug. "I don't know how or why, but he's back."

She smiled, and the rest of the tears followed the original down her face, this time on both sides. Zuko helped her up, and together, they went to Sokka's side, where the group began to cry over him. Katara stayed the closest and most watchful to him, and as she stroked his hair, she sighed, content for now, as he fell into a restless and feverish sleep.

"He'll be okay. He'll live," she breathed, closing her eyes.

Aang looked straight at Katara, staring at her with a serious look in his eyes.

"No," he said, his voice firm. She looked up at him with fear. The others did as well, confusion in their eyes, as he looked to all of them, back to Katara, and then towards the moaning young man.

"His journey is far from over."

* * *

You guys like? please read and review!!!!


	3. Chapter 3: The Price of Blood and Guilt

Hi guys, sorry it took so long, I just didn't like how this chapter was put together in my weird avatard noggin. So yeah, this chapter I don't like as much, just because of how it flows. If you have any suggestions, please comment!!!! thanks guys for all your support!

* * *

"His journey is far from over."

"What do you mean?" Katara's eyes widened in fear, staring at the young Avatar. His serious gaze locked deep into her own, her blue eyes scanning his deep clouded grey ones for answers, ones he kept dangerously concealed from her.

"I'll tell you later," said, looking back down to his best friend, who cried out and winced violently. "Right now we need to help him."

* * *

Toph sat in a corner of the temple and winced again as Sokka's scream hit her ears. It was scary to her that she had never known his scream; well, she had always heard his when he was attacking something, whether it was a joke or not, but this one was much, _much _different. He was in complete agony. And she had to listen to it the whole time that Katara, Aang, Zuko, and Hakoda worked on getting him situated. She had to feel every jerk and wince and leap of his heartbeat. She felt his breathing race. She was suffering almost as much as he was.

* * *

But the three kids and the older warrior talked low in the crackling firelight, trying to decide next. "I think we need to move him," Katara whispered, "I--"

Sokka moaned in pain once more.

Tears came to her eyes, but still she continued. "The wind that goes through this canyon keeps us cold at night, and I think that the warmest he'll be is near the fire behind the corners of the temple. It'll give us all added protection as well."

"I agree," Hakoda said. "We need to move him to a secluded area." He tried as gently as he could to pick up the dying boy, but still Sokka cried out, wheezing and clutching his skin above the wound. His skin was pale and shallow, making him look dead, but his continuous moans and violent movement showed he wasn't. Hakoda settled his son into his arms, while Zuko and Aang wrapped the sleeping bag around his limp body. He carried him as gently and as slowly as he could, but every movement made the boy cry out.

"Oh, my boy, stay with me," Hakoda prayed, bowing his head as he walked to the new area.

The other three began to pick up the stack of firewood that was left near the now burning one. Zuko put out the old one, and as he carried the new stack with Aang and Katara, he scanned the scenery. Suki couldn't handle it anymore, so she had gone to stay with Haru, Teo and the others, which was strange from Zuko's point of view because he'd thought that she'd be the one stuck to Sokka's side almost as much as Katara was. But he finished gathering wood with the other two and quickly walked over to where Hakoda had picked a spot, behind the main wall with the sky bison mural. It was actually much warmer and secluded there, the warrior thought. And safer.

The three set down the wood in two piles, and Zuko bent a flame onto the first one, which quickly caught and burned, illuminating Hakoda setting his son down as gently as he could and unwrapping the young man from the sleeping bag.

By now Sokka's shirt had been taken off, because there wasn't much use for it actually on him anymore, and the gaang crowded around him, beginning to start their jobs.

A while later, Zuko looked over to Toph, huddled in the corner. He had never seen her like this. He wanted to go over and comfort her, but his attention turned back to his job as the young man below him cried out.

He looked back down. His job was keeping Sokka warm through putting his hands on the boy's arms and radiating firebending through the cold body, and so far, it didn't look like it was helping him at all. He looked up at Katara, who tirelessly was cleaning as gently as she could at the wound in his middle. But she had to work carefully, because even the slightest brush of something against his skin just _around _the wound set off the pain.

Aang kept wiping his best friend's forehead with a cool cloth that he kept freezing with his bending, but every few minutes, it melted against Sokka's boiling skin. He looked up. "Shouldn't you be trying to take whatever's stuck in him _out_, Katara?"

She looked up with a tearstained face. "I guess, but he's in so much pain that I don't really want to. But we need some more help." she turned to the blind earthbender in the corner, and as gently as she could, called out her name.

"Toph? I know you're not really in the position to do this right now, but we could really use your help. Can you?"

The young girl nodded, took a deep breath, and stood. "Sure," she said, trying her best to sound in a not-caring mood, but failed. She shakily walked over and sat next to Zuko, who gave her hand a small squeeze before returning to his work.

"Okay, I need you to put a hand on his chest Toph, and feel if a rise or drop of his heartbeat happens. Kay?"

Toph swallowed and nodded, her heart already racing as she put her hand on his bare chest and nearly flinched. Spirits, his skin was burning, and the heartbeat and breathing she felt under the skin was completely different from the strong and steady beats she normally felt from him. Even though she was a master, his heartbeat always made her feel stronger, protected. _Loved_… but now Katara was right. It was as if his whole body was at war inside of him.

Katara breathed deeply, and staring at her father, she felt the hot tears prickle at her eyes. "Dad, I don't want to hurt him," she croaked, and her father gave a sad smile. He reached across his son's body to touch his daughter.

"You can do this. Sokka knows you can. His life can only be saved by you. Pain doesn't matter now. He wants to be rid of it…" he looked down. Sokka's face was tied together in a painful wince, and he moaned agonizingly. His wheezed once, and coughed as well, and a trickle blood spurted from the wound. He cried out again.

"Okay," she whispered, and slowly began to inspect the wound. It was scary to see the inside of her brother, but she knew she had to put all emotions away and act fast. Carefully, she slowly pulled the skin apart a little. Sokka screamed and writhed under her, crying out and his sweat pouring down his agonized face. A thin sheet began to form over his entire body as well.

"Katara!" Toph cried. "I don't think this is going well!"

The young waterbender looked up. All of the gaang's faces were focused on Sokka, and so she knew she had to act quickly. Looking back down, she swiftly widened the wound on his abdomen, and she saw a flash of the metal…there! It shone again! Sokka's cries echoed throughout the temple, and he writhed crazily in pain, but now instead of trying to get him comfortable, the group kept him pinned down while Katara did her job.

* * *

Sokka struggled within the darkness. He couldn't hear or see anything, but he felt the agonizing, murderous pain deep within him. He wanted to die--again. And this time, stay that way. But soothing wisps of his sister's voice came to him, begging to him to stay with them. He had to, for her sake, for Aang's, for all of them. He forced himself through the darkness to push on…

* * *

Katara waited until the group had a proper hold on Sokka, and she continued. No one moved or made a sound except the crackling fire and Sokka's outcries, but they all watched as Katara, as softly as her shaking hands would let her, pulled apart the wound, and the metal gleamed in the vivid orange light cast by the fire. And slowly she used her thumb and her index finger as tweezers. She grabbed a hold of the metal shard, but as soon as she did, her brother lurched and cried out, clearly being tortured by the pain.

But as Katara looked at her father, Aang, Zuko, and Toph, she knew what she had to do it. And it was as if Toph could read her mind.

"It's okay Katara," the earthbender whispered, fear in her voice. "You can do it."

Everyone knew it was more serious than it seemed if _Toph_ was scared and she used everyone's real names.

Katara nodded and looked back down. Using her fingers again, she grabbed a hold of the metal and began to pull it out.

Sokka screamed the loudest he ever had, groaning and wincing, sweat pouring down his face, and his blood pounding out of the wound. His breathing intensified, as did his heart rate, and the pain he felt, even deep into the darkness. The others' hearts pounded dangerously fast, but no one thought of themselves at that moment.

"Katara," Aang whispered quickly. "Just pull it out quick!"

"Aang, that'll kill him," Zuko cried, Sokka moving once again violently under his grip.

"I can't kill my own brother!" she cried.

"You might if you go slow!" he said, looking straight at her. "Katara, you're a healer. You can heal what happens to him, but we need to get it out first, find out what it is, and save his life because of his original wound. We all believe in you."

Katara gulped, and she looked up. Toph's eyes stared toward Sokka's body. Hakoda's were closed in prayer, and the only one left to stare at was the prince. His gold eyes pierced her soul. Asking her through his expression questions that she didn't know the answer to. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to think, except the one sentence that broke out of her.

"I-I can't d-do it…"

Aang looked up. "Katara."

She looked up at him. "Aang, I can't." she looked down to her brother, moaning with every other beat of his heart. She breathed in deeply. A look of determination crossed her face, immediately replacing the fear, and she looked at Sokka with a serious face.

She once more grabbed the metal shard, and pulling it out as softly yet as quickly as she could, the others winced and turned away as Sokka's screams and writhing movements became worse. She closed her eyes as she pulled it out even more, and the young warrior screamed, his body now beginning to shake from shock once more.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Katara pulled out the metal shard, a total of nearly six inches long and two inches wide. She breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly releasing the anxious breath she had kept in, and she held the bloody shard in her hand, also dark crimson. Blood dripped from the shard onto the ground, marking the price that the Warrior already had to pay. His blood ran down the dagger and down Katara's arm, and she shivered, but she had to be strong for him now. So she just held the shard to the light, inspecting it. Besides the blood, a deep yellow green substance covered the shard as well, as well as Sokka's wound, and it was sticky. It even seemed to start to burn her fingers.

Zuko had bowed his head and closed his eyes when she replied to his piercing stare, but as he looked up at the metal now lying in Katara's hand, something was oddly familiar about it. His eyes widened.

"Katara," he commanded silently. "Give that to me."

She looked up. "What? Don't you at least want me to clean--"

"Give it to me. Now."

Katara stared at him with worry in her eyes as she warily placed the bloody metal in Zuko's hand. His eyes focused on it and he fingered the design. It had clearly been made for a master.

"Mai's dagger," he whispered under his breath, but he looked up. "It's been poisoned with one of the most deadly poisons known to the world. The dragon-cobra's. It sounds like an animal, but in truth, it's human-made. Only select few apothecaries know how to make it. It has shards of metal that, once it goes through the heart, rips it up. And the acidic substance burns the insides. It kills slowly," he nodded towards the pale young man who kept groaning. "It means death for all, there is only one cure, but it is a long shot. I don't know how he's survived this long. He's a strong man, in spirit at least. He's died once. But if we have any chance of saving him, we need to get that cure in him, FAST." he sighed and stood up. "I need to think about this. Alone, sorry."

The four looked (and felt) him walk away, and Toph knew something was wrong when Zuko's hand took the dagger from Katara. His heart sped up in fear and sorrow. And somehow, she knew he was connected to what happened.

"I'll go see what's wrong with Sparky," she volunteered, glad to get away, and Aang, Katara, and Hakoda worked on healing what they could in the poisoned boy's body.

As she followed him into her endless darkness, the blind bandit felt the prince's heart rate increase every time she felt him bring the dagger up to look at it. And she needed to know what he knew. She kicked the ground, and Zuko yelled in surprise.

"UGH! Toph! Let me out!"

"Not until you tell me. Now."

"Tell you what?" he angrily cried.

"Don't play that against me," she hissed, making his mouth shut with the venom in her voice.

Toph walked over to where she had encased everything of Zuko's into a rock pillar, with only his hands, feet, and face visible, at least, what she knew she bent around him.

"Zuko spit it out. Now. I felt your heartbeat. I know your sorrow. Somehow this is connected to you, and I don't think I want to hear it. But I have to, for my family's protection." she glared him straight in his eyes. "What is the metal that was stuck in Sokka's middle?"

Zuko's head dropped. "Let me go and I'll tell you."

The young girl gave him a wary look, but let him down, not softly, and he fell to his knees. He looked up, his hair covering part of his bad eye, giving him less vision of the earthbender in front of him. Not that he needed to see her. He didn't want to look anyone in the eyes right now, even eyes that couldn't see him back.

He pulled out the dagger. "Here. Do you know what this is?" He handed it to her, and she felt the sharp sides, the firmness and sleekness of the blade. She winced as the blood of her best friend covered her fingers, but still she concentrated. "I've felt these around before. They're familiar…" she suddenly gasped. "Your crazy psycho girlfriend!!!" she cried out, her stare of surprise turning to anger. She grabbed the prince by his shirt front, and nearly lifted him up off the ground, as small as she was.

"How did this get into Sokka?"

"It's all my fault that he's like this."

"Wha--what?"

"I shouldn't have frozen…he shouldn't have done that for me…"

"Zuko?" she asked, worriedly.

"I'm guilty. He got in the way…"

"Got in the way of who, Zuko? You're not making any sense!"

The prince looked up. "Why do I mess everything up? Especially for you all? Katara will kill me…"

Toph shook him. "Zuko, what happened? Tell me what happened!"

"Azula…" he whispered.

* * *

What'd you guys think? You like? Please read and review, and any suggestions are greatly appreciated! thanks, God bless,

And if any of you guys are Pro-Life, pray that the FOCA law doesn't get passed. Sorry. but I'm freaking out about this.

AVATARONE3


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